Adjacent Words

Stead definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

STEAD, STED, n. [G. See Stay.]
1. Place; in general.
Fly this fearful stead.
[In this sense not used.]
2. Place or room which another had or might have, noting substitution, replacing or filling the place of another, as, David died and Solomon reigned in his sted.
God hath appointed me another seed in stead of Abel, whom Cain slew. Genesis 4.
3. The frame on which a bed is laid.
Sallow the feet, the borders and the sted.
[But we never use this word by itself in this sense. We always use bedstead.]
To stand in sted, to be of use or great advantage.
The smallest act of charity shall stand us in great stead.
STEAD, STED, in names of places distant from a river or the sea, signifies place, as above; but in names of places situated on a river or harbor, it is from Sax. Stathe, border, bank, shore, Both words perhaps are from one root.
STEAD, v.t. sted.
1. To help; to support; to assist; as, it nothing steads us.
2. To fill the place of another.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the post or function properly or customarily occupied or served by another; "can you go in my stead?"; "took his place"; "in lieu of" [syn: stead, position, place, lieu]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English stede, from Old English; akin to Old High German stat place, Old English standan to stand — more at stand Date: before 12th century 1. obsolete locality, place 2. advantage — used chiefly in the phrase to stand one in good stead 3. the office, place, or function ordinarily occupied or carried out by someone or something else <acted in his brother's stead> II. transitive verb Date: 13th century to be of avail to ; help

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. Phrases and idioms: in a person's or thing's stead as a substitute; instead of him or her or it. stand a person in good stead be advantageous or serviceable to him or her. Etymology: OE stede f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Stead Stead, v. t. 1. To help; to support; to benefit; to assist. Perhaps my succour or advisement meet, Mote stead you much your purpose to subdue. --Spenser. It nothing steads us To chide him from our eaves. --Shak. 2. To fill place of. [Obs.] --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Stead Stead, n. [OE. stede place, AS. stede; akin to LG. & D. stede, OS. stad, stedi, OHG. stat, G. statt, st["a]tte, Icel. sta[eth]r, Dan. sted, Sw. stad, Goth. sta?s, and E. stand. [root]163. See Stand, and cf. Staith, Stithy.] 1. Place, or spot, in general. [Obs., except in composition.] --Chaucer. Fly, therefore, fly this fearful stead anon. --Spenser. 2. Place or room which another had, has, or might have. ``Stewards of your steads.'' --Piers Plowman. In stead of bounds, he a pillar set. --Chaucer. 3. A frame on which a bed is laid; a bedstead. [R.] The genial bed, Sallow the feet, the borders, and the stead. --Dryden. 4. A farmhouse and offices. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Note: The word is now commonly used as the last part of a compound; as, farmstead, homestead, readstead, etc. In stead of, in place of. See Instead. To stand in stead, or To do stead, to be of use or great advantage. The smallest act . . . shall stand us in great stead. --Atterbury. Here thy sword can do thee little stead. --Milton.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. If you do something in someone's stead, you replace them and do it instead of them. (FORMAL) We hope you will consent to act in his stead... PHRASE: PHR after v 2. If you say that something will stand someone in good stead, you mean that it will be very useful to them in the future. My years of teaching stood me in good stead. PHRASE: V inflects

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. [Written also Sted] Place, room.

Moby Thesaurus

abet, abode, aid, area, assist, bearings, bench mark, district, do for, emplacement, help out, hole, latitude and longitude, lieu, locale, locality, location, locus, pinpoint, place, placement, point, position, region, site, situation, situs, spot, whereabout, whereabouts